Our customer had been buying simplex and duplex chains from a company in Australia that imports from England. The chains were "kitted" into a specific number of links with half links and joiners included. The objective here was to simply reduce cost without losing any of the benefits of the "kits". Quotes were prepared and prices came in at around half of current.
The Process:
OEMCP used one of our existing suppliers of sprockets and chain. The chain factory was visited by OEMCP personally and samples were arranged. The customer arranged for the samples to be fitted to a machine that had just been sold and was due for some immediate and intense work.
Controlling the Quality:
The sample chains were removed after 2 months of use and examined against a brand new English chain. The Chinese chain showed less "bend" than the English chain out of the box, a quick indicator of wear on any chain. Having proved the quality, an order was placed.
Pre-shipping inspection was simply a matter of ensuring that the chain kits were correct and boxed as specified.
Shipping:
Delivery was quoted as "ex-Ballarat" but the parts were dropped off by Vic Muller for free.
Vic Muller's recent work history includes 10 years as General Manager of family owned agricultural sprayer manufacturer Goldacres, located in Ballarat and St Arnaud, Victoria. Vic has also worked as a manufacturing consultant in Australia and Overseas and has extensive experience in equipment design, quality control systems, supply chains and supplier relationships, costing, budgeting and every other facet involved in managing a modern manufacturing and distribution company.
Relinquishing the Goldacres GM role to the eldest son, Roger Richards, in February 2013, Vic is now utilising his contacts in China, Taiwan and India to bring real savings to other manufacturers. Vic says "I enjoy the satisfaction of delivering savings to my customers but the real kick is in surprising them with quality that exceeds their expectations"
